WA lobster fisher handed record penalty
A commercial rock lobster catcher in Western Australia's Mid West region has been slapped with the heaviest fishing offence-related penalties in the state's history.
Geraldton-based Sam Vincent Basile repeatedly committed offences including fishing in zones he hadn't nominated, breaching his licence, and was caught on satellite.
He has had his licence cancelled, worth $7.5 million, and will lose a further $302,000 in fines and court costs.
Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley said the sentence came after a three-year investigation and he hoped it would send a message to the industry "that we won't take cheats lightly".
"The natural resource of Western Australia ... is the property of Western Australia," Mr Tinley told reporters on Wednesday.
"The McGowan government won't countenance crooks and cheats who want to steal off the people."
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